Joanne Matthews

The recent HCM news story about how newly-diagnosed cancer patients should be prescribed exercise was music to my ears (see page 28).

The benefits of exercise when it comes to recovery from any major illness or injury is well documented and yet so few people are being given this critical recommendation as part of their recovery.

Some years ago, I recognised this substantial gap in the market and it led to the development of Ten Health & Fitness.

The business was born in the rehab gym where I was recovering from serious injuries sustained in a car accident. The journey between the fitness and medical world was often frustrating, disjointed and entirely my own responsibility to manage.

I persevered and knew this needed to change, given the benefit of exercise on my own recovery.

Today, in the UK alone, over seven million people have cardiovascular disease, 4.5m suffer with diabetes and 2.5m people are living with cancer. The evidence in support of exercise during and after treatment for these conditions is overwhelming and the benefits to quality of life, both physical and mental, are significant.

For clients with an identified clinical need – particularly following a heart disease, diabetes or cancer diagnosis, a joined-up approach can be critical to recovery.

It’s a huge audience and a very real need, but one that the fitness industry in general – whether big-box gyms and boutique providers – is either unwilling or unable to address at anywhere near the scale required.

We all know someone living with a life-changing condition. Fitness facilities need to work more closely with the medical community to improve outcomes and quality of life for people affected.

Today, TenClinical offers bespoke, scientifically proven exercise prescription in a welcoming, inclusive and empowering boutique, rather than a medical environment. But we’re just one operator. Imagine the impact if we could all work together.

June Davis, advisor for allied health professionals at Macmillan Cancer Support, is exactly right when she says we urgently need the Government to invest in the NHS workforce, so that there are enough professionals with the right skills to deliver this sort of care.

A joined-up approach between the medical and fitness worlds can be critical to recovery